Chapter 97: Golden Fortune City III
The orb pulsed again, revealing a golden scroll edged with burning runes.
[Lot #34: Skill Book – Inferno Tempest]
— Advanced Fire Magic. Summons a storm of flames over a wide area.
— Requires: Fire Affinity.
Starting Bid: 600,000 gold.
The fire mages in the hall went rabid, half of them nearly tripping over their seats.
Rhys didn’t budge at first. He wasn’t specialized in fire... but his mind ticked over. Puddle. Bounce. Even Mia’s people. A spell like this could change the outcome of guild wars.
"Seven hundred." His hand lifted.
The numbers climbed, guild banners flashing signals across the hall, but Rhys didn’t flinch. The scroll finally slammed into his lap at 1.2 million gold.
Puddle tilted her head, whispering, "Master doesn’t even use fire... but you’re smiling."
Rhys chuckled. "Not everything is for me."
Next came a set of shimmering scales, silver-blue, displayed inside a glass case.
[Lot #39: Lunar Drake Scale Armor (Epic Set)]
— Defense +850, Magic Resistance +15%.
— Set Bonus: +10% damage reduction under moonlight.
Starting Bid: 1,000,000 gold.
The hall erupted again—half the knight orders stood as one.
Rhys joined late, voice steady. "One-point-five."
The bidding war grew vicious, but most guilds pulled back at two million. Knights couldn’t justify burning their war chest. Rhys took it quietly for 2.2 million, tossing it into storage like it was nothing.
Bounce huffed, eyes flicking at the armor projection before it faded. "That suits me more than you."
Rhys smirked. "We’ll see."
The next lots kept the hall buzzing: beast eggs, rare ores, enchanted rings. Rhys only raised his hand for the exceptional.
A [Skill Book – Mana Sever], a blade art designed to cut through magical barriers, was claimed for 900,000 gold. He didn’t even blink as smaller guilds cursed their lack of funds.
A [Starlight Herb Cluster], a material used in high-tier potions, fell into his lap for 350,000, snatched from under a guild’s alchemist squad.
And then—
The orb shimmered with pale green light.
[Lot #44: Spirit Pact Crystal]
— Allows immediate bond with one eligible beast.
— Increases affinity growth rate by 30%.
Starting Bid: 2,000,000 gold.
The tamers in the hall went feral.
Puddle’s hands clenched on his sleeve. "Master... we need that."
Rhys was already raising his hand. "Two-point-five."
The numbers climbed viciously. Rogue tamers screamed out bids, guild beastmasters raised their hands in desperation, but Rhys pressed forward without hesitation.
"Three."
"Three-point-four."
"Four million."
By then, half the competition fell silent. The crystal was his at 4.5 million.
Puddle’s glow brightened faintly as she whispered, "With this, Bounce and I... we can grow even faster."
Rhys only nodded, eyes still locked on the orb.
The Auctioneer’s voice carried over the hall once more, hoarse but still smooth. "Ladies and gentlemen, we near the end. Only five items remain."
The orb flared again, and this time it wasn’t just curiosity in the air. It was hunger.
Something big was coming.
Rhys folded his arms, lips twitching into the faintest smile.
The auction kept rolling.
A set of [Runed Barrier Stones] came up—portable defensive wards that could block up to three high-tier spells. Rhys raised his hand. "Two hundred thousand." No one fought too hard for them, and they landed in his storage at 230,000 gold.
Next, a [Skill Book: Flame Torrent]—a wide-area fire spell—ignited the crowd of mages. Rhys didn’t care much for it, so he sat out and let it climb past 1.5 million before it was claimed by Dawnlight’s guild.
Then came [Blessed Armor Plates – Epic Crafting Material]. Useful for strengthening mounts or beast companions. Puddle perked up, tail swishing. Rhys lifted his hand. "One-fifty." The bids rose slowly, but he didn’t stop until he secured them at 280,000 gold. Bounce gave a pleased grunt at that one.
A rare scroll flickered onto the orb next: [Forbidden Technique – Mirror Guard].
— Allows user to reflect one attack back at the caster. Single-use only.
Starting bid: 500,000 gold.
The hall grew tense. Several guild elites wanted it. Rhys let them push it up to 1.2 million before cutting in. "One-point-three."
The Iron Talons tried to resist with "One-point-four!" but their commander shut them down after a glare from his officers. Rhys secured it for 1.3 million, sliding it into his collection of trump cards.
After that, several smaller lots rolled by—alchemy kits, rare ores, beast eggs of common rank. Rhys didn’t care much.
But then, a special lot appeared: [Twin Blades of Selkar – Legendary Daggers].
The orb showed curved silver daggers that shimmered with faint lightning. Perfect for assassins. The bidding war exploded instantly, with assassin guilds going all out. Rhys didn’t move a finger. He wasn’t interested in daggers. It finally sold for 7.8 million to the Shadeveil Syndicate.
Later, a [High-grade Beast Evolution Elixir] appeared. Puddle’s eyes widened, but she whispered, "Not useful for me, Master. My bloodline is already complete." Rhys nodded and let others fight over it, eventually selling for 4.2 million.
He focused on practical things again. He bought a [Skill Book: Mana Ward] for 260,000 and a rare [Combat Manual: Flowing Step]—a movement technique—for 340,000.
By the time the orb dimmed and the Auctioneer raised his voice again, Rhys had a sizeable pile of winnings stacked in his storage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we now approach the final three lots of this Millennium World Auction!"
The Auctioneer raised both hands, and the orb flared brighter than before.
"Final Lot #3."
The projection shifted, revealing a black iron-bound tome, its surface etched with runes that pulsed faintly.
[Grimoire of the Forgotten Pact]
— A forbidden magic grimoire.
— Contains three sealed spells of the Old Era.
— Use carries risks. Unknown side effects.
Starting Bid: 5,000,000 gold.
The hall erupted.
"An Old Era grimoire?!"
"That could be worth entire guild legacies!"
"Or curse the user to death on the spot..."
Guild leaders leaned forward, hungry but cautious. Rhys didn’t move. He already had what he wanted—Akashic Fragment and Blood of Lazulis. This wasn’t his lane.
The grimoire climbed fast, from five million to eight, to ten. The Shadeveil Syndicate and an unknown VIP locked horns until it sold for 12.5 million.
The Auctioneer wiped sweat and spoke again.
"Final Lot #2."
The orb shimmered, showing a crystalline horn, faintly glowing with frost.
[Frostcall Horn of Jotunheim]
— Relic of the Ice Giants.
— Can summon an ancient frost guardian once per week.
— Bound to the summoner after first use.
Starting Bid: 4,000,000 gold.
The entire hall leaned in. A summonable frost guardian was near army-level strength.
"Four million!"
"Four-point-five!"
"Five!"
The Iron Talons jumped in hard, clearly desperate to cover their earlier losses. The bids flew fast. Rhys thought for a moment—Puddle tilted her head at him, curious—but he shook his head. "Not worth it."
The horn sold for 7.6 million to the Iron Talons, their commander grinning with relief.
Finally, the orb flared one last time.
"Final Lot #1!" the Auctioneer shouted, his voice trembling.
The projection shifted, and the hall went dead silent.
Floating in the air was a shard of pure white crystal, glowing faintly, like it held an entire star inside.
[Primal Soul Shard]
— Origin fragment of an unknown divine beast.
— Can be fused with weapons, armor, or bloodlines.
— Effects unpredictable. Power immeasurable.
Starting Bid: 10,000,000 gold.
The room was silent for a heartbeat—then chaos exploded.
"Ten million!"
"Eleven!"
"Thirteen!"
"Fourteen!"
The numbers flew so fast even the Auctioneer struggled to keep up.
Rhys’s eyes narrowed slightly. He could feel it from here—the shard pulsed faintly, resonating with his Akashic Tome. His instincts screamed. This wasn’t just rare. This was connected.
Puddle clutched his sleeve. "Master... it calls to you."
Bounce’s tail struck the ground with a heavy thud. "If you want it, take it. No hesitation."
Rhys raised his hand.
"Fifteen million."
The entire hall froze again.
The Auctioneer nearly dropped the hammer when he heard Rhys’s calm voice.
"Fifteen million! Current bid—fifteen million!"
The hall went wild again.
"Fifteen?! Is he insane?!"
"He already blew twelve million earlier!"
"Who the hell IS this guy?!"
From the balcony, that same velvet voice from before rang out.
"Fifteen-point-five."
Dawnlight’s leader slammed his hand on the table. "Sixteen!"
The Iron Talons commander roared immediately after. "Seventeen!"
The Auctioneer’s hand was shaking again. "Seventeen million! Do I hear more?"
Rhys didn’t blink. His hand lifted again.
"Eighteen."
Gasps filled the air.
"He’s not stopping—"
"Eighteen million?!"
The velvet voice came back, colder.
"Nineteen."
Iron Talons grit their teeth but pushed again.
"Nineteen-point-five!"
Rhys leaned forward just slightly, his eyes fixed on the shard. His voice was low, steady, certain.
"Twenty."
The number hit the room like thunder.
"Twenty million gold?!"
"That’s more than entire fortresses are worth!"
"Whoever this man is... he’s insane."
The velvet voice hesitated. Dawnlight’s leader slammed his fist but didn’t raise his hand. The Iron Talons commander looked like he might vomit blood, but his officers were already shaking their heads.